African Traditions

"Jumping the Broom” is a symbol of sweeping away the old and welcoming the new, a symbol of new beginnings.

The Broom ceremony represents the joining of two families by showing respect and paying homage to those who came before us to pave the way.  It is practiced with honor for the ancestry and beauty of a rich heritage.

Jumping the Broom is a custom that originated as the symbolic jumping the doorway, or threshold from a carefree single life into the responsibilities of domestic life and a future together. Tying the Knot means that the couple is actually bound together at the wrists during the ceremony, linking them together symbolically. The bride, as a symbol of modesty, will hide her face behind a veil of braided hairs an offer to the gods to join in the celebration, wine is poured onto the ground.

source: World Wedding Traditions